FDA: It's Time for a Nutrition Label Makeover

Today, the FDA announced its proposal of major changes to the black and white nutrition facts panel on packaged foods. Here's what you can expect if they get approved:

Clearer Calories Listings
The number of calories in a serving will be larger and in bolder type to help you really understand how many calories you're taking in from any given item. And, the calories from fat won't be listed anymore, since we now know that the type of fat matters more than the total amount.

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Clarifying "Added Sugars"You'll see a new line listed under total carbs called "Added Sugars." Up until now, it was practically impossible to tell how many grams of sugar were naturally occurring in a food (like the natural sugar found in milk or fruit), and how many the manufacturer added during processing.

"This would be a major step toward helping people find the sneaky sources of sugar lurking in unexpected foods like bread, pasta sauce and other condiments, and seemingly healthy yogurts," says Samantha Cassetty, M.S., R.D., Good Housekeeping Research Institute Nutrition Director.

More Clear, Realistic Serving Sizes
Ever eat something that seemed like it was single serving and then realize afterwards that it was meant to serve two or even three (and therefore had two or three times more calories than you realized)? The new label will aim to stop that with more prominent labeling of the number of servings in a package. The FDA is also proposing to update serving-size requirements to better reflect how much people actually eat (so ice cream, for example, will have a bigger serving size than it's current 1/2 cup portion).

"This is a huge improvement as the current serving sizes reflect portions that were common 30 to 40 years ago rather than the pumped up portions we're now consuming, We'll be in a much better position to judge the calories and other nutrients since they'll be tied to what we're actually eating," says Cassetty.

Highlighting the Nutrients
The %DV (daily value) would be on the left of the label to help you better contextualize nutrient information. Potassium (which helps control blood pressure) and Vitamin D (crucial for strong bones) would also be required on labels. Says Cassetty: "These are important nutrients we know people fall short on so the new label will help consumers identify good sources."